


Sadie Hawkins Day

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dating, Eventual Romance, Gen, School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24927397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Robin's dating.  Cormoran is not happy about it.
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 16
Kudos: 41





	1. The World of Dating

The first time Robin went out on a date in nearly a decade was with a friend of her flatmate’s.Jeremy was a nice guy, easy-going and good-looking in a friendly sort of way.It wasn’t a date-date, not really, it was just dinner with a group of friends and a movie with Jeremy after.It was very low key and Robin was a nervous wreck for the entire week leading up to the event.Cormoran knew something was up immediately—Robin rarely dithered—but she didn’t actually tell him she was going out with someone until the afternoon of the Big Date when he asked her what was wrong, his eyes full of concern.

“I’ve got a date tonight and I’m a nervous wreck!Cormoran, I haven’t been out with someone new in ages.What if he hates me?What if he wants to kiss me?What if I want to kiss him?”She was panicking and she knew it but she didn’t seem to be able to rein in her emotions.Cormoran sat her down on the farting sofa (which for once seemed to hold off on emitting the mocking noise), made her tea, and insisted she tell him everything about this date. 

It was calming to have someone listen to her fears. Once she explained that the date was a dinner with a group of people she and her flatmate knew from her exercise classes and from his job, to be followed by Robin and Jeremy going to a movie they both wanted to see, Cormoran pointed out step-by-step everything that might happen and what Robin could do about it. 

“If he’s got any brains at all he will want to kiss you, Ellacott” —Robin blushed at this—“but if he’s smart about it, he’ll ask you to go out another time with him first, just to get a feel for you.Only total assholes like me fall into bed with a woman on the first date.”

“You are NOT a total asshole, Cormoran, you are just very sexy.So of course women want to sleep with you,” Robin said before she thought.She blushed even harder. 

Cormoran looked at her over his mug of tea and decided to ignore the compliment.“You are in control of all this, Robin.You are in a public place so if he wants to hold your hand, you just give it a squeeze and gently disengage.If he wants to kiss you goodnight, give him your cheek.Take it slow until you know this guy a little.Once you have a feel for him, you’ll know whether you want to go out with him again.I know you are brave, Robin.You can do this.It’s just awkward to go out with someone for the first time.”

“You go out with women a lot and you never seem to be awkward about it.” 

“I am always awkward inside, so I usually let the lady take charge when I’m out with someone new.Don’t judge someone by external appearance.Chances are this Jeremy is as nervous as you.Now, more tea? Tell me what you are going to wear.”

Robin dithered over that, too, so Cormoran took her in hand and told her for a first date that starts out as a group dinner and then goes to a movie, to wear casual clothes.“Pick your outfit to go with the group dinner.The movie sounds like an afterthought socially.I know you are very nervous about it, but you will do fine.It gets better with practice.Hardly anyone notices I’m a great doofus when I’m out with them now.”

Robin laughed at that.“Thanks.I do feel a little better.”

“And you can always text me if things go bad and I’ll do the emergency phone call thing.You can gracefully tell this guy that your boss is calling and it must be important.I’ll have fallen down the stairs or something and you can pretend you have to rush to the hospital to check on me. Always have an out, Ellacott.”He toasted her with his mug of tea and their conversation turned to next week’s schedule.

Robin had no idea after she left for the day Cormoran sat in his office, chain smoking for nearly an hour, fretting about her first date even more than she had.His only comfort was that Robin had said he was sexy.He hoped she loathed Jeremy. 

Of course she didn’t and they went out on several dates, going to a museum, a park and then a concert before they admitted there just wasn’t a spark between them.Robin didn’t know that during each of her dates Cormoran sat waiting for that emergency call until he thought she was safely home (or in bed with Jeremy) and drank himself to sleep after.She also didn’t know that when she told him that she and Jeremy weren’t seeing each other any more that under that reserved exterior he was jumping for joy and went to sleep that night remembering how she’d looked when she told him he was very sexy.

*******************************************

Robin started slowly going out with other people over the fall.She went to a restaurant with an actor friends of her flatmate’s, she took in several art exhibits with someone Jeremy knew that he introduced her to—“you two have a lot in common” — and now she was going to an office Christmas party with a guy she’d met in her self defense class.Strike hated each and every one of these men but he never let Robin know.She talked to him about her dates as if he was one of her girlfriends.So far she didn’t seem to have slept with any of these guys but he suspected it wasn’t for lack of trying on their part.Who wouldn’t want to go to bed with Ellacott?

In self-defense, he went out with several women himself but somehow, he never ended up sleeping with any of them, which was …odd.One of the ladies he’d taken to dinner told Robin later “He’s a perfect gentleman, although a bit intimidating ‘cause he’s so large.I was looking forward to being ravished by those big hands but durn if he didn’t kiss my cheek goodnight and go home!” 

The lady in question was the sister of a former client who had hired them to check on her cheating spouse, then decided to take him back.Naturally the spouse cheated again so while the wife wept in Cormoran’s office, her sister, along for moral support a second time, had tea with Robin.Robin hid the relief she’d felt when the confidence didn’t turn out to be about how great Strike was in bed.Later that night home alone while watching a tv show she’d missed, Robin pondered her feelings about the revelation from the sister.Was she jealous?Or just glad she didn’t know anything a bit embarrassing about her business partner’s social life?She hadn’t failed to notice that Strike was dating a series of attractive women this fall.None of them appeared to be serious so maybe they were just a one-night stand.She was pretty sure he’d not been out on a second date with any of them. 

Come to think about it, she’d not been out on many second dates herself.This dating stuff was strange.She’d gotten over her nerves with Cormoran’s help.But no one did anything to her libido. She’d gone out with a handful of guys by this point, and even though she’d had a very nice time, she was happy and even a bit relieved to go home alone afterwards.Perhaps Matt was right—she was frigid.She obsessed over the insult he’d hurled at her when she’d discovered he was cheating for the entire weekend and finally she asked Strike about it on Monday.

*******************************************

“Cormoran, how do you know if you are frigid?” she blurted out over tea and biscuits at the end of the work day.

“What?” he was rummaging in the tin for his favorite type of biscuit and either didn’t hear properly or he was stalling for time, Robin wasn’t sure which.

“How do you know whether the fact that someone leaves you cold when they want to kiss you is because they just aren’t the right person for you or because you are cold sexually?”

Cormoran was frowning at her now.He’d even forgotten to put the last chocolate biscuit from the tin in his mouth.As usual he cut to the heart of the issue.“Who has been telling you that you are frigid?”

“Matt.He claimed that was why he was cheating on me.It was my fault.”Suddenly Robin had tears in her eyes.She hadn’t realized how much that insult had hurt until now.

Strike leaned on her desk, looking down at her.“You and Matthew have been divorced a year now.Why is this just now coming up?Did someone you are dating get huffy because you didn’t want to kiss them?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.I just have been out with a bunch of guys since October and I don’t have the urge to kiss any of them.”

“That’s because they aren’t the right guy.Robin, look at me.”

She dried her eyes and looked up into his concerned ones.“I have been out with several women myself this fall and haven’t wanted to kiss them, either.You either want to or you don’t.It has nothing to do with being frigid, it’s all about personal chemistry.Trust me—when you find the right guy everything will just fall into place.” 

“I’m not frigid?”

“Of course not.Your ex was just trying deflect blame for his infidelity.I bet nothing was ever his fault. A simple mind game but effective.I’d like to punch Matthew Cunliffe into next Sunday.”Robin felt cheered by Cormoran's anger on her behalf. “Here’s a tissue, dry your eyes and pack up for the day.I’m going to buy you chocolate.”

Strike took her to a fancy coffee place and bought her a large mocha with extra whipped cream and chocolate shavings.It was delicious.He even walked her to the train station and when she was parting from him, she suddenly turned and hugged him fiercely.“Thanks, Cormoran,” she said.He hugged her back and they clung together for a bit, each reluctant to let the other go. 

Later that night, Robin realized that she’d finally found someone she wanted to kiss.Unfortunately, it was her business partner. 

*******************************************

Christmas came and went.Robin’s office party date went ok but she turned down an offer to go to a fancy restaurant with the guy.She told him the truth—she just didn’t feel any connection.He was nice about it, although disappointed.She was able to set him up with another acquaintance from their self-defense class and she was pleased to report to Strike that they had hit it off.“I think when the detective business is slow I can do match-making as a sideline,” Robin announced.Strike pretended horror, “I am NOT turning my business into a matrimonial agency!Marriage is the devil.”

“How do you know?” Robin asked.“You’ve never been married.You have happily married friends and relatives.So do I.I just had the bad luck to marry a cheating liar.”

“I am not the marrying kind, Ellacott.Me, with a wife and kids?It just doesn’t compute.”Robin frowned at him. 

“Remember our discussion over whether I was frigid?”

“Yeah,” said Cormoran, unsure where this was going.

“You told me when it was the right person, I’d want to kiss them. I suspect when you meet the right person, marriage and family will be something you want.” 

He glared at her.“You are the devil, Ellacott.”

She laughed at him and went out to buy more biscuits.“No matrimonial agency!” he bellowed down the stairs as she headed for the outer door.She smiled all the way to the corner shop.It wasn’t often she got the best of Cormoran Strike.


	2. Chapter Two - Valentine's Day

February was cold and dreary.Robin was putting a dripping umbrella away when Cormoran came out of his office, looking disgruntled.“What’s up?” she asked.“Raining cats and dogs out there but we don’t have to go out.Today’s catch-up-on-the-paperwork day.”

“Humpf,” he said, checking the kettle and finding the water cold, which wasn’t surprising since they’d both just arrived at the office.He refilled the kettle and plugged it in, taking down mugs and tea bags from the shelf to have them ready.The biscuit tin was full, which helped his mood a little.He took a bite out of one of his favorite brand of biscuits and leaned against the counter, waiting for the kettle and watching Robin start up her computer and put her purse in the drawer out of the way.“What are you doing this weekend?”

“Not much.The weather’s going to be nasty so I thought I’d just clean the flat and do laundry after I get my hair cut Saturday morning.What about you?”

“Have to go to Lucy’s for Saturday dinner.”He never enjoyed the enforced family time with his sister and her family, although Robin had noticed that he rarely excused himself from Lucy’s periodic dinner parties.He always did his duty for Lucy. 

“What’s so bad about that?She’s a good cook and you can spend some time with your nephew Jack and leave early.” 

“Saturday is Valentine’s Day.She’s going to have some suburban woman there as my dinner date, I guarantee it.Lucy’s always trying to set me up with someone so I’ll settle down and have three kids and a convection oven.”Robin knew he considered a convection oven the most useless gadget ever.She grinned at him.“So?You’ve taken dates to Lucy’s before.Just make sure you tell her you are bringing someone to head her off at the pass.”

“That’s the problem.I don’t have anyone to take.I’m not dating anyone and even if I was, I wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea by taking them to meet my sister.”

Robin stood up and poured the boiling water over the tea bags.Strike was staring moodily out the window.He seemed to have forgotten the tea.Robin got the biscuit tin and handed it to Strike.He took another biscuit and looked at it, as if he’d forgotten that biscuits were for eating.“Cormoran, take your tea and sit down on the sofa,” Robin ordered. 

Cormoran did as he was told.Robin looked at him fondly.“I’m not doing anything on Saturday so I’ll go with you,” she offered.He looked up, hope in his eyes.“Would you?That would be super!I’ll go call Lucy.”He jumped up off the couch and headed into his office where Robin heard him talking on the phone.She shook her head, grinned to herself and took his forgotten tea mug into his office and sat it down on his desk in front of him.“Thanks,” he muttered.Robin could hear Lucy’s strident voice on the phone.“…at least Robin’s decent.The last person you brought over was that artsy-fartsy publisher girl.”Robin grinned at Strike, pointed at herself and mouthed, “Decent” before closing his office door and going back to her desk where she dived into the paperwork with gusto.

*******************************************

Saturday afternoon Robin felt quite cheerful.She was looking forward to dinner at Lucy's.She enjoyed seeing Strike with his half-sister and his favorite nephew.Like Strike, she wasn’t wild about Lucy’s husband but she didn’t have any trouble listening to his jokes or deflecting Lucy's prying questions about the business and her brother’s social life (or lack thereof).She liked her new haircut, too.It was a little shorter than usual and she thought it made her look more sophisticated. She headed for work from the hairdresser's with a bounce in her step.

Strike was happier than usual before a trip to Lucy’s for dinner, too.Going anywhere with Robin made it better, that’s for sure.Robin was meeting Strike at the office after her hair appointment so they could take the train to Lucy's house together.He wondered if her hair would look even more like spun honey than usual after the beauty shop washed and dried and set it.He was finding it harder to resist touching it than ever these days.But at least at Lucy’s it was easy to resist looking too long at Robin.Lucy’s hawk eyes missed nothing about their interactions.

Robin and Strike talked business all the way to Lucy’s house.He used their discussion as a shield to avoid admiring how attractive Robin was.She was tall, with a good figure, kissable lips and of course her hair was gold in the watery sunlight.In her boots she was nearly as tall as he was and in those slacks, her rear end looked amazing.He was a very lucky man that this beauty worked with him, that she was as smart and good with people as she was attractive.He shouldn’t want more but of course he did.Even though she’d once said he was sexy, he was ten years older than she, disabled, uncertain he wanted a family, and he was a workaholic struggling to build a business.He certainly was not a prize catch.Well, at least he could spend time with this amazing woman while she saved him from his sister’s romantic machinations. 

Lucy actually liked Robin.Robin also got on with his brother-in-law Greg and Lucy’s three boys.The middle boy Jack was especially enamored of Robin, and as soon as she and Strike arrived, Jack gave her a big hug and extracted a promise she’d help him with his school project after dinner.They had a pleasant lead into dinner, with Greg talking football while Robin smiled and nodded and Strike bit his tongue.Lucy drew Robin into a discussion of the best cookware while Strike and Jack talked about school and whether Jack would like Sandhurst when he got out of university.The other boys and their father were watching the football match. 

Soon enough Lucy sent the boys upstairs to wash up and asked Robin to help her dish up dinner.Strike went along, not wishing to be stuck with Greg’s company.Together the three of them set the table, dished up the lamb and peas with potatoes, poured everyone drinks (soft drinks for the boys, wine for the adults), and they all sat down to dinner.It was a jolly meal, with the boys chattering away while Lucy tried to keep order.Strike noticed that Robin had a more calming effect on the boys than their own mother, who tended to get snappish when things didn’t go according to plan.But Robin was equitable and easy-going, and Strike never appreciated that more than when he was around Lucy.

When Lucy served pudding and coffee and tea, Strike handed around little Godiva solid chocolate hearts to everyone but Robin and Lucy who each got a larger heart—Lucy’s filled with raspberry creme and Robin’s filled with ganache.Strike told them all Happy Valentine’s Day and Lucy beamed.The boys wolfed down theirs while Lucy and Robin said they’d save theirs until later.Jack grabbed Robin’s hand and led her off to his bedroom where he said he needed her assistance on schoolwork, the other boys went to play video games, and the remaining adults toyed with the remaining puddings and coffee and made small talk about Cornwall and the weather in London and whether Lucy and Greg should go to Spain for a holiday next summer.

*******************************************

Jack’s room was small but he had made it his own with video game posters, model tanks and cars, and even a tiny red and white metal airplane soaring from the ceiling light that Robin thought was made from a soda can.Jack saw her noticing it, so he told her that he and Uncle Corm had made it last summer from a plan Jack had found online.“We used a Coke can from a trip we took to the Imperial War Museum,” he told her.Robin smiled and told him it was wonderfully made but knowing the history behind it made it even more special.Jack beamed.

“What’s this school project you need my help on?” Robin asked him. 

Jack explained that he had to do a report on holidays and how they were celebrated and with this being Leap Year, he’d settled on February 29.“But there isn’t much about it.I’m going to get a bad grade,” he confided, looking upset. 

Robin thought.“Ok, time for some research.Do you know about Wikipedia?”

With a few keystrokes Robin showed Jack where to find basic information.They discovered leap years happened every four years with the 29th day added to the end of February by Julius Caesar to help balance the calendar which is based on the sun’s rotation.They also found that in Greece getting married on February 29 was considered bad luck, in Scotland it’s considered bad luck to be born on February 29, and in the UK, if you were born on February 29,your birthday is considered to be March 1st for calculating certain things like your age for legal proceedings.They also found lists of famous people born on Feb. 29, but Jack pointed out they didn’t have any holiday-type celebrations for the date.

“When things don’t turn out the way you expected, that’s when you have to dig deeper, Jack.”Robin resorted to using several search engines, showing Jack how the results varied with each and how changing the search terms slightly also changed the results.With Duck Duck Go’s help they discovered in Ireland Feb. 29 is Bachelors Day.Traditionally it is a day when women are allowed to propose marriage.Jack looked happy.“So you can ask Uncle Cormoran to marry you?”

“Well, yes, but we aren’t Irish so there’s no guarantee he would say yes.” 

Jack looked at her solemnly and announced that he’d marry Robin himself if she’d wait until he finished all his schooling and his military career.“I have a lot of stuff to do first, though.I guess you’d better ask Uncle Cormoran instead.”Robin smiled at him and changed the subject, “Let’s see if we can find anything else.”That’s how they stumbled across Sadie Hawkins Day.The article said that Sadie Hawkins Day was created by an American cartoonist probably inspired by the Irish Bachelors Day, but that it was celebrated November 13.Sadie Hawkins Day in the comics was the day when unmarried men and women had a foot race.The women chased the men and if the woman caught a man, they got married. In America this evolved into Sadie Hawkins Day dances where teen-aged girls asked the boys of their choice to the dance instead of the more traditional way of males asking females out.Jack thought it was a great ending to his paper but Robin had to explain “comics” didn’t mean comic books, it mean comic strips in the newspapers.Jack was enthralled with the idea of short versions of comic books in the daily newspapers.And then he said something that stayed with Robin, “Sadie Hawkins Day sounds great.Uncle Cormoran can’t run fast any more so you are sure to catch him! And then you will be my Aunt Robin and can come over lots and help me with my homework.”


	3. Chapter Three - Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Al Capp's comic strip Lil Abner was a huge hit when I was a child. I think Sadie Hawkins Day dances have died out, though. I don't remember any ever being held in my area, but of course we were the hillbillies All Capp was satirizing.

Sitting in the office Monday morning, splitting up the week’s tasks together while drinking the coffee Robin had brought in from the corner stand, Cormoran thanked Robin for the coffee and for going to Lucy’s with him.“It was a lot better dinner than usual, thanks to you.My patience runs thin when I’m around Lucy too long.Forgot to ask, what was Jack’s school project?”

Robin told him it revolved around holidays and their celebrations, and Jack had chosen the upcoming Feb. 29 since it was happening soon.Somehow she felt a little odd about mentioning Sadie Hawkins Day, so she diverted Cormoran by asking about the soda can airplane.“Oh, that.A mate used to make them and I mentioned it to Jack.He found out how to make them online so we brought a can home from our last trip to the war museum as a souvenir to use.It’s a little dangerous to do—the thin metal is sharp—but he seemed to love it.”

“It’s flying from the overhead light in his bedroom,” Robin told him.“He’s talking about making more.”Strike looked a little alarmed.“I’d better warn Lucy. I had protective gloves but I borrowed them from Shanker.”

“Why does Shanker have gloves that protect your hands while cutting metal?”

“Don’t ask.I didn’t want to know myself.Guess that’s what I’ll get Jack for his birthday, then.Eye protection and gauntlets.”

Robin grinned.“Can’t wait to hear what Lucy thinks about that.”Strike looked at her and they both burst out laughing. 

*******************************************

The next two weeks were pretty busy, but Robin found herself thinking about Cormoran more than she should while on surveillance.The desire to kiss him was growing each time he smiled that smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes, every time his big hands offered her a mug of tea or the biscuits tin, and when she saw him sitting at his desk at the end of a long day, eyes closed, obviously tired with his leg bothering him.She fought the urge to hug him then by listing all the beautiful and accomplished women he’d dated in her notebook.He wouldn’t be interested in a small town girl from rural Yorkshire who had never quite lost her accent, especially when angry or frustrated, and who dressed on a High Street budget, not in designer gear.When she found herself doodling Cormoran’s name in the margins of the page with the list, she tore it out, crumpled the paper into a ball, and tossed it into the nearest bin.This was madness!

Strike was also thinking about Robin more than was wise.Their Valentine’s Day dinner at Lucy’s had highlighted to him what a splendid woman Robin was.She wasn’t only lovely and intelligent, she was kind and considerate to others, even his family.She’d seen that Strike was struggling to cope with Lucy’s insistence that her way was the only way and she’d helped him out.Her presence had made the event nearly pleasant.He loved his sister but she annoyed the crap out of him at times.And then there was his brother-in-law….When the phone rang, Strike broke out of a reverie about Robin’s smile and that gorgeous hair and got back to work.

Strike’s sister called him the last Friday in February.Among her complaints about his social life (“you need to stop those one night stands and find yourself a good woman who wants to settle down”—he hadn’t told Lucy he had not slept with a woman in months because what business was it of hers?) and Greg’s DIY project failures, she did say that Jack had gotten a good grade on his class project which Robin had helped with.“Although I think that Sadie Hawkins Day nonsense was too adult for kids Jack’s age,” Lucy complained.Strike had no idea what she was talking about, but he knew Robin wouldn’t suggest anything inappropriate and indignation on Robin’s behalf led him to tell Lucy what he was getting Jack for his birthday.He ended up hanging up on Lucy in exasperation.Then he looked online and discovered that Sadie Hawkins Day was when women asked the men of their choice out instead of waiting to be asked.He should be so lucky, he thought morosely. 

At the next opportunity he took a tea break and told Robin that Jack had gotten a good grade on his school holiday project.She was pleased.“He’s a great kid, Cormoran.It was fun teaching him how to research, too.We might hire him part-time when he’s much older to do some work for us.”Strike looked at her.“Are you mad?Do you WANT to have Lucy on my case 24/7?”

Robin laughed. “Leave it to me when the time comes,” was her only comment.Strike thought wryly with Robin’s personal charm, he probably could.“Doing anything this weekend?” he asked, just to change the subject. 

“Surveillance on Saturday, then I’ll do the laundry and clean the flat Saturday evening.Sunday morning’s reserved for grocery shopping and the afternoon is free for maybe just lounging around.What about you?”

“Pretty much the same.There’s an Arsenal game Sunday afternoon I want to see, though.” 

Feeling greatly daring, Robin said, “Why not come to mine for the Arsenal game?My flat mate has a new huge flat screen tv you can watch it on.”

Strike looked at her.“Are you serious?”

“Sure.He’s away until the middle of next week so we can wallow on the couch and eat popcorn in peace and you can teach me the finer points of the game.Matt always watched rugby instead of football and I need to be able to impress my brothers by my knowledge of the game the next time I’m home.” 

Strike broke into a big smile.“That would be fabulous, Ellacott.”So they had a date, of a sort.True, it wasn’t a romantic date, but Strike would be coming to her flat for the first time since he helped her move in.Robin obsessed about what to wear and what food to serve all of Saturday while she followed their mark around town, then she worried further while cleaning the flat and doing her laundry.She made list after list of what to buy and cook, what to clean, what to wear.Finally by lunchtime Sunday Robin was ready.She had enough sandwich makings to feed an army (or Strike for three days), she had two six packs of Doom Bar and two bottles of white wine, the flat was clean and neat, and she had showered and changed into jeans and her favorite sweater.She set a background music playlist going and because she was so nervous, she started to bake cookies.Cooking always calmed her.

Strike was equal parts thrilled and terrified that he was going to Robin’s flat for the Arsenal game.He made sure he shaved carefully Sunday morning, even though his beard would be showing again by Sunday night, put on a new shirt and a sweater that he saved for best—he even washed his trainers.He bought Robin a box of her favorite chocolates as a thank you when he did his grocery run, and added a bottle of good wine for her and some beers for himself.Before he knew it, it was time to catch the train to Robin’s.He made sure he had his keys, wallet and phone but he almost forgot the alcohol and chocolates.He had to return to his flat for them, making him a little later than he’d planned.But because it was Sunday, the trains were on time, so before he was ready, he was knocking on Robin’s door.

Robin’s hands were shaking as she took the cookies out of the oven.“This has to stop!” she told herself.“It’s just Cormoran coming to watch football.Settle down.”Of course just as she slid the last of the cookies onto the rack to cool, there was a knock at her door.Robin dashed to open it—and there he was.Her boss, her friend, and her crush.He gave her a smile and handed over wine and chocolates and beer, “because you were kind enough to invite me.”Robin was touched and thanked him for the treats.“I’ve got Doom Bar in the frig, so why don’t you get yourself a cold one while I put all this away?The cookies are still hot, but they’ll be ok to eat in a few minutes.”

They got through the first few minutes on the couch together by Robin teaching Cormoran how to use the complicated television remote.They had fun zipping through the variety of things on offer (cooking shows, cartoons, movies, news and weather, even music channels and a book review channel) before they settled back to see the pre-game show on Sky Sports.The cookies were delicious and they both ate several while Strike had one of the cold beers and Robin sipped at her white wine.Pretty soon they were relaxed enough with each other to talk about sports.Robin learned about Strike’s boxing club when he was a teen and Strike learned that Robin herself had taken riding lessons for years.“I always loved horses.”City Boy Strike expressed horror, much to Robin’s amusement. 

With the pre-game show ending, Strike asked Robin what she knew about football.He spent the first period of the game explaining plays and a bit about the history of Arsenal, which he had followed since he was a kid.“Uncle Ted always followed them, so I did, too.”He learned that Middlesbrough and York City were the football teams Robin’s brothers had always followed, even though “Sheffield United is the most popular team in Yorkshire but they are from down south so we turn our noses up at them.”By half time, they were feeling pretty comfortable.Robin volunteered to make them sandwiches during the break while Strike watched the commentary.She made roast beef sandwiches with extra horseradish and onions for Strike and extra mustard for her, plus bags of their favorite crisps.They ate side by side, with Strike having a second beer and Robin more white wine. 

By the time the game ended with an Arsenal win, they were relaxed and having fun together.Robin found a repeat of Top Gear, which they watched, laughing at the hosts’ antics and critiquing the cars that had been on the Top Gear Patagonia show at Christmas.Robin brought them more cookies and alcohol and by now they were a little drunk together, but neither really cared.This was the best evening they’d had in a long time.“Great Sadie Hawkins Day, Robin!”

“Oh, did Lucy tell you about that?”

“Yeah, she thought the holiday was a little risqué for ten year olds but I pointed out that it likely went right over their heads.Lucy should know you’d never expose her boys to anything inappropriate.I told her she was being silly.”

Robin was feeling a little bold after three glasses of wine.“Jack loved the holiday.He said that I would easily catch you in a Sadie Hawkins Day race and then I could be his Aunt Robin.”Strike searched her face but saw no sign that she thought this was funny.She actually looked a bit wistful.He moved a little closer to Robin on the sofa and put his arm up over the sofa back and around Robin without touching her.Robin moved a bit closer to him under the guise of picking up the tv remote and lowering the volume a bit. 

“Sadie Hawkins Day became more about women asking men out instead of waiting to be asked, which I think is a good thing.If you wait to be asked, sometimes it doesn’t happen and then you are left wondering if you aren’t good enough or what’s wrong with you.”

“Men risk a lot of rejection when they ask, Robin.That can be tough, especially when you are hopelessly in love.Guys like me who are older, disabled, not particularly handsome or well off, we get turned down a lot.”

“I’ll never believe you get turned down a lot, Cormoran.You are very sexy, you know—something about your eyes and your size and your smile. When we are on stakeout together, women check you out constantly.It bothers me.”

“Are you afraid I’m too noticeable, Ellacott?” Strike tried for a lighter tone.

“No, Cormoran, I’m jealous,” Robin said and she softly kissed him.Without realizing it, Strike’s hand came up to cup her face as he kissed her back.He leaned back a bit to search her face, her chin cradled in one of his hands. 

“Ellacott, you deserve someone better, someone younger, handsome, someone with a better paying job.”

“I had that with Matt and it was a disaster.You are something better—you are smart, you respect and encourage me, and we work well together.I know a lot about you as a person, how hard you work, how considerate you are, and how you never complain no matter how bad things get.We’ve had fights but you fight fair and we always find a way forward.I like you a lot, Cormoran, and I think you are wildly sexy.I should be the one holding back after my bad experience with Matt and you should be the one trying to seduce me given your experience with women, not the other way around.Unless you aren’t attracted to me?”

Cormoran was having trouble putting a coherent sentence together as Robin was running one hand up his arm while the other rested lightly on his thigh.“Not attracted to you?Of course I’m attracted to you, but we are in business together.What if we don’t work out as a couple?”

“You worry too much.We are adults, Cormoran.If we get romantically involved, we can keep that from effecting the business no matter how it ends.It’s my day to ask nicely, so I am.Let’s be brave and see where this goes.Unless you don’t want to sleep with me?”She suddenly looked nervous.

“Robin, I’ve never wanted to do anything more in my entire life.”

She gave him a radiant smile. “Come on then.Did I tell you I repainted the bedroom?I need your opinion on the color.”

And that, my friends, is why the firm of Strike and Ellacott is always closed forFebruary 29th, the day we celebrate Robin catching Cormoran at last. 


End file.
